Nine
by Apples Are Oranges
Summary: He was one with nine.
1. Chapter One

**Authors Note: Hi. My writing has not been reviewed. Please forgive any mistakes. Thank you.**

For as long as Naruto could remember small things happened to him that made no season.

Take birds, big or small they never chirped around him. Naruto first really noticed it when his mother took him to the market with her. One of the stands that sold live chickens had taken his interest. Drifting away from her, Naruto had stood there a good half hour, not one of the weird looking feather creatures chirped, cried or made any noise. As one they just watched him. Unblinking.

"Naruto!" His mother's angry voice had dispersed the gathered crowd. Grabbing him by the arm, she dragged him away giving him a mean lecture about what happens to boys who left their parent's side in crowded places.

"But Mom-" he had tried to explain.

"Shut up! I'm talking!" Her famous temper had shown.

Speaking of famous things there was then his parents, Jiraiya and Tsunade. They never acted like normal parents did or the way they were supposed to according to his few friends. Mommies and daddies were apparently supposed to sleep in the same bedroom. He had seen his mother's, it was nice, better than his dad's, so why did his father sleep downstairs in the spare bedroom he wondered? Also his parents didn't touch mouths the yuck way other mommies and daddies did. Naruto wasn't complaining it was gross seeing that. All those cooties! Fact of the matter was, his parents were different, why?

"Dad, why do you sleep downstairs?" He had one day asked. His dad was startled by the question almost dropping the stack of boxes he was carrying.

"Kid, what do you mean?" He had asked once he set them down.

"You and Mom, you're weird! At least from the stuff my friends say."

"What do they say?"

"Mommies and daddies always sleep in the same bedroom."

"The oldest lie in marriage. No, they don't." His had father chuckled. Naruto had looked at him more confused.

"Shikaku says they do!" Naruto had gone on to list his smartest friend who annoyingly just wanted to sleep a lot but knew his stuff. "Tsume said it too!" She wasn't as smart but still. "She says all parents sleep together, they also wrestle at night without clothes on and that's where babies come from!" He had felt the arrogance of being right and knowing it. The conversation however had led nowhere. His father seemed to have a cold and coughed away his answer after that. Maybe his sickness was why he was downstairs?

Speaking of sickness, Naruto never once got one. No flu, chicken pox or tummy ache. His friends and even his parents often got sick but he didn't. Even when he fell or hurt himself Naruto had never bleed. The one time he did, he took a knife bit the inside of his lip and gave himself a shallow cut. The knife slide right threw then the pain came. As did his pained screams. Lucky for him Naruto had been smart enough despite the pain to think to put the knife away. By the time his mom came it was already hidden. She had grabbed gently his hand and tried to heal it but by the time she tried, the cut had healed away. This time when she explained it away he felt warm inside.

"You a special boy Naruto. Always have been."

That night Naruto found himself with his usual insomnia and decided to do some snooping.

"He's getting suspicious Jiraiya. He cut himself today." His mother had seen! Naruto hid round the corner to find out what his punishment was.

"We aren't exactly giving him reason not to Tsunade, we aren't exactly a convincing couple."

"Don't." His mother had used that scary voice of hers. "I'm with Dan." Naruto had no idea what that meant.

"I won't." Naruto continued to listen in. Filing away 'Dan' for later. "We just need to put on a better effort. The kid is five. Soon he'll be ready and we can't have him unsure about this."

"Fine." His mother had sighed. "You can move into the bed today. And kissing is fine but no tongue!" Naruto quietly snuck back to his room that night. The next morning as sure as day, his father made quite a show of leaving his mother's room.

"Morning."

"Morning Dad."

"It's three! Where have you been?!" Came his mother's angry tone one night waking him.

"I was with a girl! I told you that!" The sound of a loud smack followed his father's words. His father's pained gruff came next.

"Wednesday night! That is your night not Friday!" Wednesday? The night his father had to help Uncle Orochimaru? Is that what his mother was talking about? "God Jiraiya! I didn't think you were serious when you said you had to 'pork the sushi waitress', in front of your son at the dinner table!"

"Hey! Don't bring him into this!" His father raised his voice something he never did. Naruto curious and partly afraid for his mother, quickly got out of bed and moved fast to his parents' keyless keyhole to look through. His parents both stood red-faced nose to nose. "I'm a good father to that kid! Don't for a second say I'm not!"

"Dan would be better!" His mother scoffed. His father flinched back like her words burnt. His face then became hard again.

"Goodnight Tsunade!" His father stormed towards the exit of the room. Naruto unable to move froze there in fear. When the door opened his red-faced parents turned pale. Immediately his mother and father came closer or tried to. Naruto backed up not letting them.

"Who's Dan?" First he looked at his father then mother.

"Naruto, what you doing out of bed?" She said instead avoiding the question. "Come on, let me tuck you back in-"

"No, who's Dan?! You said he would make a better father for me than Dad! Who is he Mom?!" Naruto was on the verge of tears. How could she say that. "Dad?" Maybe he would give the answers.

"He's your mom's old friend, Buddie. No one important." His father came over this time he let him. "Hey." His father crouched down. "How about tomorrow we start your training just you and me?"

"It sounds like a good idea to me." His mother came over and if Naruto didn't imagine it his father flinched when she did. "We could use some training to energise us tomorrow. We all tired tonight and we've said some horrible things we didn't mean." He didn't know if she was talking to him or his father. His mother crouching in front of him too and looking at his father when she spoke. His father's head finally turning the two looked at each other quiet. "I'm sorry." His mother said.

"Me too." His father easily returned. His mother was about to turn back to him but suddenly stopped when she caught eye of him watching them. Turning back to his father he saw her cheeks redden as she leaned in hesitantly and pressed her lips against his father's.

"Ew!" Naruto covered his eyes and turned away. What was with grown ups and that? When he heard his parents laughing he opened his eyes and split his fingers so he could peek through them, seeing the coast was clear he put them down. "Don't do that again!" He pleaded. First time seeing it was enough.

"Can't promise it won't!" His father patted him twice on the shoulder chuckling. His mother just smiled quietly. Naruto was disgusted by both. "So what do you say to that training?"

"Heck yeah!"

"Chakra-" His mother explained later to Naruto who was bored out of his mind. His father had bailed earlier in the afternoon for an urgent mission last minute so his mother had offered to give his first lesson instead. Had he known it was theory! Naruto would have said no. "Is the energy that flows through everything dead or living, person or object. Insect or mountain. Without chakra at all a thing cannot exist."

"Mom, do I have chakra?" Maybe he didn't and that's why the chickens looked at him weird that day.

"Yes Naruto! Have you not been listening! You wouldn't exist!" But I could, because why were the chickens looking at me weird that day? He wanted to say but instead.

"I have. I just- is there a test to see if some has chakra!" A bright lightbulb lit over his head.

"There is." His mother frowned at him not happy with the lesson distraction.

"Could we please do it right now?! I promise I'll do two chapters when we done!" They were only supposed to cover one today but from what little he saw his mother loved theory. His bribe might work.

"Fine." It did. "But when we done, you sit and listen. No fidgeting, no complaining!"

"Deal!" Naruto grinned excitedly wondering how this would work. Most of him was excited, a small part nervous. What if he had no chakra?

"Give me your hands." His mom holding out her own commanded. His were warm in hers when he placed them there. A feeling of home and love flowing into him as she held his smaller hands. His mother must have felt the same because she smiled at him. "Close your eyes." She requested. Once he did his mother's voice seemed distant. "I'm going to guide you to a place called your mindscape Naruto. Tell me what do you see when you stop."

"Okay." Naruto floated away in the quiet darkness of his mind. He was being led somewhere he could feel that. Like by a soft current out at sea carrying him. His only anchor and sense of direction he came from his mother's gentle hands.

"You okay Naruto. Nothing's going to happen to you my baby."

"I see something Mom." Naruto suddenly stopped and found himself ankle deep in a shallow pool of water. "There's water. Not a lot. Just up to my ankles."

"Good, what else?" Naruto took a moment to look around a bit.

"Cages. Nine of them, in a circle round me with big red bars." Naruto took a closer look. "The cages don't have anything in them." That was a bit disappointing. "Just-" he saw something. "There's a floating ball in one Mom. It looks like its made of ink." He entered to investigate.

"Don't touch it!" His mother's sharp warning came. Naruto withdrew his outstretched fingers.

"Sorry." He apologised blushing in here and probably out there. Moving away from the small ball and out the cage. Moving through the other eight, Naruto saw similar but very different balls of the same size in their individual cage. "The last one looks like sand with these weird black patterns." He gave his mom his ninth report on these balls.

"Okay Naruto. I want you to get back to the centre of these cages." Naruto did. "Look up." He also did. "You see that right? That's your chakra." Naruto did. He saw a gigantic blue orb floating above like the sun but not so high and lighting this place. The sight was awesome simply. Jumping as high as he possibly could he tried to touch it like he did many times in the real world with the moon, stars and sun. His fingers didn't even graze it or get anywhere near it. Again like the sun it was simply too far.

"Mom! I see it but I can't touch it!" Naruto suddenly found himself yanked out.

"That's because you not supposed to. Not yet." His mother affectionately kissed his brow once he was back. "Also next time don't shout! I'm right here." Her face turned angry before she smiled at him again. "How was it?"

"Awesome!" He remembered her noise complaint and kept his voice contained despite his excitement. "The ball above my head was really huge! Bigger than Grandma Mito's house!"

"That is big." His mother looked genuinely very impressed which made him happier. "You weren't scared were you? Especially when you saw those other balls?"

"No." Naruto scoffed. He wasn't wimpy Hiashi who Naruto sometimes confused for Hizashi. "What were they Mom? Was that my chakra?" He couldn't help ask.

"Not really." She answered him vaguely. Drawing his attention back to the lesson textbook with a gesture. "You owe me two chapters young man. I kept my end of the bargain. Its now time to keep yours." There was no debate in her voice so he did.

About three hours later the lesson was done. Naruto also had eaten, bathed and was now ready for some much needed sleep. The lesson earlier left him totalled. His mother coming in to tuck him goodnight gave his messy spiky hair a fresh messing before she kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight Naru. I love you." She whispered into it. Holding her head there to kiss his forehead a second, third and fourth time before moving back. Affectionately she smiled at him waiting for her own goodnight.

"Goodnight Mom," he yawned. "I-" He fell asleep before he was even done.


	2. Chapter Two

There were easy days that followed for him the following month. His training firstly started off at an easy pace and continued relatively the same through those thirty one days. He would start them light with an hour of physical exercises first thing in the morning with his dad who was back from his mission now. Star jumps, push ups, short sprints, that sort of thing was all they did. The routine promised to become harder when he complained he wanted to learn how to fight not this. Afterward he showered, ate breakfast, then was all his mother's. Learning with her was challenging. Super boring stuff was hard for him to focus on. Books, books and more books was all they did. Thankfully, the lesson were short and only lasted for thirty antagonizing minutes. They had tried an hour but that didn't work, Naruto was forgetting a lot of stuff so they worked it down to half. Still his mother always made sure he didn't forget.

"Naruto, what did I just say to you?" His mother did one of checks to make sure he was listening. He was, although it was a bit hard for him to sit and focus he really tried.

"You said, the third clan to join Konoha were the Hyuga. The fourth were with the Sarutobi." He hoped he didn't mix those up.

"Good, and the fifth?" Naruto struggled as he tried to think.

"The Inuzuka!" He jumped up and down in his seat as he suddenly remembered. "The fifth clan to join were the Inuzuka!" His answer drew a quick proud smile from his mum and a welcomed peck to the cheek that made him feel warm inside.

"Very good, onto the next chapter." She praised him, sliding her long finger along the edge of their current page before turning it. "The Rein of The First Hokage." She read the title of the next chapter aloud. Naruto could only stare at the picture of his young great grandfather, his hero. Naruto couldn't help but be awed. His mum saw him and smiled.

"Maybe today we can try an hour?" She suggest and Naruto nodded. This he could stay focused for.

"Hey guys." Naruto had found himself free a lot that month. One such afternoon this happened.

"Hey Naruto!" Tsume becoming upright waved and smiled at him. "Come see this!" She waved him over. His friends along with her were hunched over together in a tight circle hiding whatever they were all excitedly crowding around.

"Choza," He found a space between the bigger boy and Inoichi. "Inoichi." He also greeted the other boy.

"Hi Naruto," they greeted him in return as Naruto looked and saw what the big deal was. It was a snail and a turtle facing each other, both very small, both very small and both a bit disappointing. The snail had a rich red shell which made it a bit interesting other than that Naruto didn't get why all his friends were grinning. He watched them still though just to see and after a couple minutes the two bumped heads twice like they were trying to pass each other but couldn't.

"What they doing?" He asked everyone. "Why doesn't one just go round if they trying to pass each other?"

"Because their fighting not trying to pass!" Oh, that made more sense why everyone was gathered. Hizashi gave him a smirk as he explained that Hiashi shook his head at. "We making bets who will win." He further went on. "Well everyone but Hiashi. No surprise there." The two twins glared at each other, their rivalry showing.

"Pussy." Tsume murmured under her breath but everyone heard her. It was Inoichi who laughed at what she said towards Hiashi. Choza and Shikaku both spotted red faces and giggled a bit too. Everyone else including Naruto and Hiashi looked at all three of them and Tsume confused. "Naruto, where's your bet!?" She asked him a question before he could ask her what she meant like he wanted to. Naruto not wanting to be out on the joke hesitantly let go of his desire to find out at least for now and looked down at the small turtle and snail instead.

His father had told him many stories of fights and when he did he also spoke of what gave one the advantage. Sometimes in detail, sometimes briefly he told them, Naruto always listened. Now to remember, he suddenly did!

"Mm- the turtle! My bets on the turtle!"

He remembered the one story he heard. How as a genin his father failed to beat an earth armour wearing Iwa shinobi because of his thick hard rock layer that covered him. In this case his dad was the snail, the one without tough skin for armour and the turtle was the Iwa shinobi.

"Turtle it is!" Tsume grinned at him like she won something. Naruto assumed she bet on the opposite and was grinning at him because he took the 'sucker's bet', a term his mom used. "Pay up Hizashi! I told you Naruto would pick the turtle!" Tsume held her hand out to Hizashi, surprising Naruto but not surprising him at all. Tsume liked to make bets just like his mom. A single ryo was placed in her palm and Tsume sniffed it happily. "Ah, the smell of money, one ryo." She pocketed it as they watched. "Nice doing business with you Hizashi, Fire Snail my ass!" Naruto gasped like the others at the word, they knew the rude word and what it meant. "Bite me." Tsume rolled her eyes no caring a little about what she said. Naruto was grabbed right then by a sudden cold feeling and the word 'ass' was forgotten. Instead he focused on another two, 'Fire Snail', his eyebrows shot up in apprehension as he properly thought about what Tsume had just said.

Looking at the snail again he gasped again, how had he not been able to see it. There the red shell so obvious.

"You guys, where did you get this?" He looked at Tsume knowing she was the only one who could have done what he thought. No else amongst them was brave enough to sneak into the Uchiha compound and steal one of their snails!

Fire Snail dishes were sacred to the Uchiha. They ate them at each festival they celebrated. Their natural spicy taste made them horrible for Naruto when he tasted them once at a festival he and his family were invited to. No one else ate them regularly so no one else kept the snails. The snails were very important to their keepers, they even used them as medicine his mom once told him. No one in the village who knew how important they were would be brave enough to steal one. Like his great grandma said to him when his mother was telling him about the snails, the clan would be very furious if some did.

"You thieves!" A high pitched accusing wail from the close by end of the clearing told him his great grandmother wasn't lying. Right before Naruto turned he saw Tsume smirking.

"I stole it Naruto." She smirked further and he was awed she did such a thing.

"Senju!" Naruto turned before he could ask how she did it and saw Princess Mikoto, heiress to the Uchiha clan and very furious. "Senju!" The name she had for him. Mikoto always addressed no one but him amongst his friends for some reason. "You and your peasant friends are nothing but dishonest thieves!" She accused in a furious tone. "How dare you inbreeds steal from my mother?!" She came to a furious stop right before them no longer stomping to them as she ranted. Her daggered eyes passing over Hiashi and Hizashi as she said her insult.

"Inbreeds?" Naruto asked genuinely confused. She looked back at him a moment, blinked in disbelief before shoving him aside and growling 'idiot'.

"Fugaku!" She spoke to the obedient servant boy always with her no longer facing Naruto who had only been pushed back two steps from the shove. "Take the snail and crush the turtle!" Everyone's eyes went wide and immediately Tsume was between the turtle and Mikoto.

"You can't crush him! He's just a helpless little animal!" She defended also now furious.

"Move out of my way right now Dog Girl or else the turtle isn't the only animal Fugaku is crushing!" Mikoto stepped closer.

"No!" Tsume stepped even closer. "You can't crush a turtle!" Mikoto pinched her nose as though the girl before her smelled.

"I'm not dealing with the likes of you. Fugaku!" Mikoto smirked and the boy came forward shoving Tsume away and onto the ground before grabbing the snail.

"Hey!" Naruto moving forward had seen it all and shoved him back hard defending his friend on the floor. Once he did, Fugaku stumbled several paces back but didn't fall, the snail he held did fall and came out his hand to land onto Mikoto's pale arm.

"Ahh!" She screamed after a moment of staring at it. "Get it off! Get it off me! Fugaku help!" The servant boy who had seen it was already there removing it with a glare to Naruto. Naruto glared back.

"It's off Mikoto-sama." The boy looked away and tried to calm his master. Most of them laughed at her as she continued to ball a bit. Fugaku glared silencing them.

"It was supposed to be you who got it not me." The princess sniffed once she calmed down. "Take me away. I'm so embarrassed." Fugaku lead her away and the laughter started again once the two disappeared.

"Did you see her?!" Tsume accepted Naruto's hand and got up.

"She was actually crying, serves her right for the insult on my clan." Hiashi smirked enjoying every second of this.

"I can't believe you enjoying something." The smirk fell at Hizashi's tease and everyone laughed good naturedly at Hiashi's glare and claim he enjoyed stuff.

"No you don't." Tsume picked up the turtle then smirked at him, the Hyuga. "If you like having fun then eat this turtle." She tried o force feed him the turtle much to his horror and the amusement of everyone there.

"No!" Hiashi called out as he ran. "What will eating a reptile prove?!"

"That you like to fun!" Tsume chased him laughing. "Guys come help me!" The rest of the afternoon they chased Hiashi trying to feed the turtle to their terrified friend or rather letting him think they wanted to. He had fun that afternoon.

On another free one that month, Naruto found himself with neither his friends or a turtle, instead he found himself with his great grandmother and uncle, Nawaki.

"Nephew!" One thing about Nawaki he was childish. The way he ruffled his hair knowing just how much it annoyed him proved it. It wasn't the messing of his already wild hair that Naruto hated. It was the fact Nawaki did it.

"Don't do that!" A sharp annoyed look entered Naruto's brown eyes a mirror of his mother's. His white hair was like his father's but styled short. His mother never allowed it to move past his neck.

"Touchy, touchy." The annoyance grew and his uncle had a good laugh seeing it. Naruto turned away to something pleasing instead, freshly baked cookies, a whole tray of them on the kitchen counter steps away from them. Where his eyes went Nawaki's did too. Urgently, Naruto wasted no time and rushed forward snatching the now cool tray up.

"Naruto. Is there a reason you running so fast in the house?" It wasn't his uncle who asked but his great grandmother, the other person in the large house with them who now stood by the kitchen doorframe, fanning her face slowly with a purple fan with pretty yellow designs on it. He hadn't see her come in or heard her. His great gran moved around really quietly.

"He's running for the cookies grandma. He doesn't want me to have some." Nawaki came over and snatched them as Lady Mito looked at Naruto disapprovingly.

"He wants to eat all of them!" Naruto tried to snatch the tray back but couldn't not with Nawaki's longer arms. "You see! Great Gran Mito look!" Nawaki was smirking at Naruto from behind a full cookie he had put in his mouth to eat at once. Nawaki got into his face and chewed it really loudly.

"Nawaki, that's disgusting, stop it at once!" Lady Mito chided him and snatched the tray from his hands once Nawaki had stepped back from Naruto. Getting three plates she divided them up mostly between two and put a few in the third. "Only in this house do we have to do this!" Lady Mito looked at the two boys hard and disapprovingly. Naruto hung his head embarrassed, Nawaki just smirked and grabbed the plate with the most before leaving. "That boy acts four more than fourteen." Naruto raised his head and found his great gran smiling at him. Naruto laughed and nodded his head. His uncle was really annoying.

"Come." His great gran held out a plate for him. She had added the extra few she put aside in the third plate to it after Nawaki left he noticed seeing the plate held out before him packed with way more cookies than before.

"Thanks Gran!" He excitedly accepted them they were too much though. As though reading his mind his great gran snatched one with a wink of her eye. Naruto didn't mind and he smiled at her as he took his own to eat. The two eventually moved to the gardens where his great grandma told stories.

"Your great grandfather couldn't garden with his hands for the life of him." Naruto laughed as he listened to his great grandmother's voice that moved far away although she as still in the same position opposite him. "Hashirama said he didn't need to how to with his jutsu but I insisted and told him if he wanted to give me a garden he had to do it by hand himself." The two looked around them, the place was beautiful. No wonder it was her favourite spot. The two had spent the rest of the afternoon there and finished the cookies as more stories were shared. Nawaki didn't comeback and because of it and everything else Naruto had fun.

One afternoon he had no fun that month was the first time he spent time alone with his other uncle Orochimaru.

Naruto had never been to his house before and standing before it Naruto saw the place was huge. Nearly as big as his great grandma's. The walls around it were very high blocking any outside view in. You only saw the yard inside if you stood by the thick gate looking between the bars.

"Now you be good for your uncle now Naruto." His mother turned him from the now open gate. Orochimaru was also now with them, waiting and talking to his dad. "Your father and I will be back for you in a few hours." The two hugged and Naruto then embraced his father.

"Bye guys, I'll be good." He promised. Once they were gone Naruto entered inside with his uncle. He looked everywhere and took it in. The massive serpent fountain that joined to a pool. The tiny red crystals that were under his feet scattered in a straight line to form a path.

"Keep up." His uncle annoyed told him already at the front door whilst Naruto was only halfway down the path. Naruto embarrassed ran forward the loud sound of the stepped on crystals under his feet hitting his ears. Once they were in Orochimaru slammed the large door behind them.

"Don't touch anything, don't break anything, in fact just keep to yourself and don't look!" Naruto nodded his head quickly and fearfully at what the pale man said and looked down at the floor. Naruto followed him when he heard the footsteps moving. "Watch your step, there are stairs here." His uncle warned. Naruto lifted his gaze to better see and what he saw made him gasp. There in the centre of winding stairs was a creature he had never seen, swimming in a body of floating water. The creature looked like a massive menacing fish with sharp teeth that looked like daggers stuck in it's mouth.

"W-what?" Was all Naruto could gasp out in awe.

"A shark, it will eat your head off so stay away from it." His uncle continued on. Naruto wanted to stay and look at this great creature but also moved forward knowing he had to.

"Uncle!" Naruto stopped him between the stairs. "Where did you get that thing, it's so cool?!" Naruto looked back and wanted run back down to see it again, perhaps from closer.

"I have work to do Naruto and I have no time for your curious mind. Don't stop me again!" Annoyance entered his yellow eyes. Naruto jumped a bit at the raised voice but nodded his head in understanding. Up the stairs they continued on in silence and despite his uncle's warning downstairs to not look around, Naruto was too curious when they hit the second floor and did letting his eyes wonder as he followed his uncle. Disappointingly he saw no sharks. Just the usual items you found in a house. Furniture, books, pictures but no shark.

"You stay down here." His uncle said when they got to the staircase that led to the third floor. Down here, Naruto's mind immediately went to the shark that was below them and also down here. "No." His uncle said simply as though he read his mind. "You to stay here on the second floor not go downstairs below or face punishment." His uncle smirked watching Naruto with bright eyes like he wanted him to and stepped a bit back afraid. "I see we understand each other, good." His uncle left him. Naruto heart thumped hard in his chest and he just stood there afraid. It was a long silent moment around him as he took a moment to calm down. Once his heart's beating felt normal again he also moved from the stairs to find something to do. Naruto ended up finding himself in the library. Everything else was somehow more boring.

Naruto could read better than most of his friends but not as good as either of his parents. He usually read with his mother when he did so she could correct him. The title of the first book he looked over was the Art of Shinobi War by Sasuke Sarutobi, Naruto recognized the Hokage's clan name but it wasn't enough to get him to take the book. Book by book he went through them and Naruto was only by the tenth shelf out of many when he finally yawned sleepy. It was really boring here and it sucked because his uncle had a shark just downstairs he could play with. Naruto remembered his uncle's frightening look and knew he couldn't go down there.

Pussy, he heard Tsume's voice for some reason then in his head and Naruto blushed. Choza had told him what a pussy was as best as he could and Naruto wasn't that. Looking left then right by the shelf Naruto moved fast deciding what to do. He would sneak down get a quick look and then come up. Getting downstairs was faster than Naruto expected. He was careful not to make a sound like he was he sneaked up on his parents. The shark in no time was again before him.

It swam around not at first noticing him then it did. Showing it's teeth it looked beyond menacing. Naruto frozen in fear and awe waited for it to swim closer but it never did. Instead it closed its mouth suddenly then swam away from him very fast to the other end. There it stayed there watching him and tail moving behind it. Naruto tried to get closer but stopped when the shark started shaking around as though in panic. It stopped when he stepped back and Naruto realised then the shark must be afraid of him. Disappointed he headed back to the stairs when he realised sharks were shy creatures.

His uncle never came from his work the rest of the afternoon so that was a relief. What wasn't were the next boring hours. Naruto wished he wasn't there.

That afternoon really sucked for Naruto. It was so boring. When his parents found out about it, his parents weren't happy especially his mom.

"He left you alone!" Immediately she went on a three minute rant.

Now he found himself home a full hour early.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" His parents had been on edge lately. His uncle Nawaki was three days late returning from his mission. Naruto was a bit worried too.

"Mom! Dad!"

He called out again when he got no answer.

"We in here Naruto!"

His dad's voice came from the lounge. It was past the kitchen which Naruto noticed had no aromas coming from. Usually this time of late afternoon his mother was making something for dinner. Her curses could be usually heard so why was it empty and silent. Naruto shrugged it off and continued forward. When he came to the lounge entrance he heard sniffing.

"Hey Naruto." His mother sat there tissue in her hand, red eyed and leaning against his father. His father also looked like he had been crying and had his arm around her holding her close.

"Hey Mom." His voice was shaky after seeing his parents cry. No part of him was ready for it and he was very afraid.

"Come here." His mother opened her arms wide and immediately he ran to her. Jumping in her lap and burying himself in her. "Nawaki," somehow he knew and Naruto started to cry as he listen. "He's not coming back, I'm so sorry Naruto." Naruto felt his father's comforting hand and his mother's touch but it did nothing to help him. His lousy uncle was gone and he wasn't coming back Naruto wept.

The funeral was a week later. He wore all black as had to everyone else he learned. This was his first funeral. His friends, the Hokage, most of the village all came to say goodbye to Nawaki.

Naruto was up front with his mom, dad and great grandmother. She had said nothing the entire service to him and the entire week no one had seen her until now. Naruto was a bit afraid she was angry at him for saying harsh words to Nawaki last time he saw him. Always arguing the two that was their dynamic. Naruto looked down and cried a bit ashamed.

"How you holding up Naru?" His grandmother asked him. She wore a gentle smile on her lips but it didn't touch any of her sad old face.

"I'm okay Great Gran." His parents both looked at him as he answered. His mother took a fresh tissue and gently dabbed his tears away.

"It will be over soon." She promised, her own eyes were very red.

"Be strong child." His great gran spoke to what felt like both of them. "Death is an unavoidable path of life. You must remain strong and not let it ruin you." The rest of the service the family was quiet. They all listened to the Hokage who took the honour of speaking.

"Student of Sannin Orochimaru, his Earth Release was so mighty it earned him the feared name Stone Lion of Konoha-" Naruto gasped he had never heard that before. "No doubt was being a shinobi and protector of this village his passion, Nawaki wanted to be Hokage and did everything in his power to try realize his dream." Naruto was further shocked. Hokage, that's what his uncle wanted. Naruto had never even ever thought of that.

On and on the Hokage went and changed his mind of the old Nawaki. Naruto wished he had know this boy that he was talking about he definitely would have been his hero as he was now.

After the funeral ended and they were on their way home the family paused when Orochimaru stood before them.

"You!" His mother went forward and his dad was the only one to stop her. His great gran had already gone home escorted by the Hokage.

"Hime." His father pleaded as he tried to stop her. His voice was soft and his hand was around her wrist.

"Don't stop Jiraiya. It's his fault." His mother freed her hand from his grip. Forward she marched towards him; Orochimaru. He didn't back away and simply stood there in a simple black robe. Naruto hadn't seen him at the funeral but apparently he was there. "You had one job and one job only and you couldn't it!" His uncle flinched as his mother jabbed him hard with each word in the chest.

"Tsunade-"

"Don't talk to me right now Orochimaru, unless you can bring brother back from the dead shut up!" Her words silenced him. His uncle lowered his head with nothing to say. Naruto could see his mom was really angry, her whole body was shaking from it with tears running down her face and her fists balled at her sides.

"Dad," Naruto was worried and looked at his father with tears in his eyes. His father looked at him, hardened his face then moved forward. Coming next to his mom, his father whispered something to her. A gentle hand resting on her arm. After a moment when his dad stopped speaking, his mom looked back at him and Naruto watched her anger fade away. She gave him a reassuring smile and gestured for him to come to her. Naruto ran forward. He embraced her waist tight once he reached her and his mother just patted him on the head, shushing him and telling him it was okay. Once everyone was calm and separated his mother turned back to Orochimaru.

"What do you want?" She asked him simply. Orochimaru said nothing but dug into his pocket and pulled a simple black headband. It was engraved 'loser' across it something they all recognised as Naruto's bad writing. The headband was Nawaki's.

"I wanted to give you this." He handed it to Tsunade. "It was given to me because I was sensei but I think you should have it." The cloth fluttered in her hands as she slowly accepted it. "I am sorry Tsunade." He quickly left after that. Naruto watched his hunched back till it was gone. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His uncle had looked really sad.

"Loser?" His father laughed drawing his attention back to the headband. "When did you draw in that?"

"Last month, when I tried to prank him." His voice cracked. When he used the stolen kunai to write it, it was funny, now with his uncle gone, it was just sad.

"Why doesn't he hold onto it?" His father suggested to his mother lifting his spirits a bit when he heard it.

"Jiraiya," his mother looked like she was going to protest but his father quickly took her hand.

"Please Hime, something to remember his uncle by." His dad's eyes stared into his mother's. They were standing really close and his mother was leaning against his father as she had been doing a lot these past few days.

"I can never say no to you." She looked down at their still interlinked hands and sighed. Never letting go she handed the cloth in her free hand to her son. "I don't want you to ever wear it, just keep it." Naruto nodded just grinning at the gift he loved it. "Promise me Naruto, you not ready to wear it yet." His mother gripped his shoulder and gave him a serious expression.

"I promise." She released it in relief once he had.

"Good, let's go home now." The family of three left and were on their way again. Their lost loved one on their mind and never to be forgotten; Nawaki.


End file.
